Microgeneration is the generation of zero or low-carbon heat and power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs.

Technologies and set-up

Microgeneration technologies include small scale wind turbines, hydroelectric plants, ground source heat pumps, PV solar systems and MicroCHP installations. A tall tower holds a wind turbine aloft where winds are consistently stronger. ... Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ... A geothermal exchange heat pump, also known as a ground source heat pump, is a heat pump that uses the Earth as either a heat source, when operating in heating mode, or a heat sink when operating in cooling mode. ... Micro Combined Heat and Power or MicroCHP is an extension of the now well established idea of Cogeneration to the single/multi family home or small office building. ...

The power plant

Usually, together with the electricty production plant (eg wind turbine, solar panel, ...), infrastructure for energy storage and power conversion and a hook-up to the regular electricity grid is needed and/or foreseen. Although a hookup to the regular electricity grid is not essential, it helps to decrease costs by allowing financial recompensation schemes. In the developing world however, the start-up costs for this equipment is generally too high, thus leaving them no choice but to opt for alternative set-ups. ^[1] Emergency power systems are a type of device, which may include lighting, generators and other apparatus, to provide backup resources in a crisis or when regular systems fail. ... Net metering is a electricity policy for consumers who own, generally small, renewable energy facilities, such as wind or solar power, or uses vehicle-to-grid systems. ... Net metering is a electricity policy for consumers who own, generally small, renewable energy facilities, such as wind or solar power, or uses vehicle-to-grid systems. ...

Extra equipment needed besides the power plant

The whole of the equipment required to set up a working system and for a off-the-grid generation and/or a hook up to the electricity grid herefore is termed a balance-of-system ^[2] and is composed of following parts with PV-systems:

• a series of deep cycle, solar, stationary or sealed maintenance free batteries ^[3]

or other means of energy storage (eg hydrogen fuel cells, Flywheel energy storage, compressed air tanks, ...)^{[4] [5]} A lead-acid gel battery A deep-cycle lead-acid battery is designed to deliver a consistent voltage as the battery discharges. ... A fuel cell is an electrochemical device similar to a battery, but differing from the latter in that it is designed for continuous replenishment of the reactants consumed; i. ... NASA G2 flywheel Flywheel Energy Storage (FES) works by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. ... Compressed air is used to refer to: Pneumatics, the use of pressurized gases to do work, as used in the Air car Breathing gas, often used in scuba diving, also to inflate buoyancy devices Compressed air can also be used for cooling using a vortex tube. ...

• a charge controller
• an inverter or grid-interactive inverter. The whole is also sometimes referred to as "power conditioning equipment"
• groundings, safety disconnects and surge protector. The whole is also sometimes referred to as "safety equipment" Usually, in microgeneration for homes in the developing world, a prefabricated house-wiring systems (as wiring harnesses or prefabricated distribution units) is used instead ^[6]. Simplified house-wiring boxes, known as wiring harnesses can be simply bought and drilled in the wall without requiring much knowledge on the wiring itself. As such, even local village people are able to install them. In addition, they are also comparatively cheap and offer safety advantages. ^[7]
• battery meters (for charging rate and voltage), and meters for power consumption and electricity provision to the regular power grid

With wind turbines, hydroelectric plants, ... the extra equipment needed ^{[8] [9] [10]} is more or less the same as with PV-systems, yet also include: An inverter may be: inverter (electrical), which converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) inverter (logic gate), also called a NOT gate. ... There are several meanings of the term Grounding: Grounding is also used to describe the connection of part of an electrical circuit to an electrical ground. ... Surge and noise protector Most hV6 A surge protector is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from power surges and voltage spikes. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... Charge is a word with many different meanings. ... International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ... In electrical engineering, power consumption refers to the electrical energy over time that must be supplied to an electrical device to maintain its operation. ...

• a manual disconnect switch
• foundation for the tower
• grounding system

Possible set-ups

As mentioned before, several microgeneration set-ups are possible. These are:

• Off-the-grid set-ups which include:
  • Off-the grid set-ups without energy storage (eg battery, ...)
  • Off-the grid set-ups with energy storage (eg battery, ...)
  • Battery charging stations ^[11]

• Grid-connected set-ups which include:
  • Grid-connected set-ups without financial recompensation scheme
  • Grid-connected set-ups with net metering
  • Grid connected set-ups with net purchase and sale ^[12]

All set-ups mentioned can work either on a single power plant or a combination of power plants (in which case it is called a hybrid system). The term off the grid refers to a method of construction that relies on renewable energy sources rather than traditional public utility sources provided by the utility grid. ... Net metering is a electricity policy for consumers who own, generally small, renewable energy facilities, such as wind or solar power, or uses vehicle-to-grid systems. ... Look up single in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Combination (disambiguation). ... Look up hybrid in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Costs

Depending on the set-up chosen (financial recompensation scheme, power plant, extra equipment), ... prices may vary. According to Practical Action, microgeneration at home which uses the latest in cost saving-technology (wiring harnesses, ready boards, cheap DIY-power plants (eg DIY wind turbines), ...) the household expenditure can be extremely low-cost. In fact, Practical Action mentions that many households in farming communities in the developing world spend less than $1 to electricity per month. ^[13]. However, if matters are handled less economicaly (using more commercial systems/approaches), costs will be dramatically higher. In most cases however, financial advantage will still be done using microgeneration on renewable power plants; often in the range of 50-90% ^[14] Practical Action - the working name of Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) – is a charity registered in the United Kingdom which works directly in four regions of the developing world – Latin America, East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia, with particular concentration on Peru, Kenya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Nepal. ...

Comparison of Microgeneration and Large-Scale generation

Microgeneration can dynamically balance the supply and demand for electric power, by producing more power during periods of high demand and high grid prices, and less power during periods of low demand and low grid prices. This "hybridized grid" allows both microgeneration systems and large power plants to operate with greater energy efficiency and cost effectiveness than either could alone. Micro combined heat and power or microCHP is an extension of the now well established idea of cogeneration to the single/multi family home or small office building. ... Cogeneration (also combined heat and power or CHP) is the use of a power station to simultaneously generate both heat and electricity. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Photovoltaic tree in Styria, Austria Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is a solar power technology that uses solar cells or solar photovoltaic arrays to convert light from the sun directly into electricity. ... Cut away diagram of a Rhombic Drive Beta Stirling Engine Design Pink - Hot cylinder wall Dark Grey - Cold cylinder wall (with coolant inlet and outlet pipes in Yellow) Dark Green - Thermal insulation separating the two cylinder ends Light Green - Displacer piston Dark Blue - Power piston Light Blue - Flywheels Not Shown... For delivered electrical power, see Electrical power industry. ... This article is about energy crises in general. ... Jeremy Leggett is a former geologist, turned environmentalist, turned social entrepreneur and author. ... ... The supply and demand model describes how prices vary as a result of a balance between product availability at each price (supply) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand). ...

Microgeneration as integrated part of domestic self-sufficient system

See also: Earth shelter

Often, microgeneration is an integrated part of a self-sufficient house. This approach has been popularised by TV series such as It's not easy being green. Often, it is complemented with other technologies as solar thermal collectors, domestic food production systems (as permaculture, agro-ecosystem, ...), hydrogen or extra electricity generation systems for self-sufficient transport, water harvesters and composting toilets or even complete greywater treatment systems. By combining all these technologies, home owners can operate their house autonomously, i.e. without the need of any communal/city services. Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... This article is about the BBC2 programme. ... Solar hot water refers to water heated by solar energy. ... The food industry is the complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... View of a Johad at village Thathawata View of a stepwell at Fatehpur,Shekhawati. ... Composting toilets use biological processes to deal with the disposal and processing of human excrement into organic compost material. ...

Government policy

There is considerable resistance to microgeneration from many governments, local authorities and energy companies. Current incentives discourage energy suppliers and grid operators from bringing energy generation to the point of demand.

Policy-makers are accustomed to an energy system based on big, centralised projects like nuclear or gas-fired power stations, and it will require a change of mindsets and incentives to bring microgeneration into the mainstream. Planning regulations may also require streamlining to facilitate the retrofitting of microgenerating facilities onto homes and buildings.

A number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and USA have laws allowing microgenerated electricity to be sold into the national grid.

United Kingdom

The UK Government published its Microgeneration Strategy^[17] in March 2006, although it was seen as a disappointment by many commentators.^[18] In contrast, the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 has been viewed as a positive step.^[19] To replace earlier schemes, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) launched the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in April 2006, which provides grants to individuals, communities and businesses wishing to invest in microgenerating technologies. The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 is expected to boost the number of heat and electricity microgeneration installations in the United Kingdom, so helping to cut carbon emissions and reduce fuel poverty. ... The Department of Trade and Industry is a United Kingdom government department. ... The Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) is a Government programme in the United Kingdom. ...

Prominent British Politicians who have announced they are fitting microgenerating facilities to their homes include the Conservative party leader, David Cameron, and the Labour Science Minister, Malcolm Wicks. For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. ... Malcolm Hunt Wicks (born 1 July 1947, Hatfield) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...

In the December 2006 Pre-Budget Report^[20] the Government announced that the sale of surplus electricity from installations designed for personal use, would not be subject to Income Tax. Legislation to this effect is to be included in the Finance Bill 2007. In the United Kingdom, the Pre-Budget Report (PBR) is one of the two economic forecasts that HM Treasury is required to deliver to Parliament each year, the other being the annual Budget. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income...

Microgeneration in popular culture

Microgeneration has been popularised by several movies, TV-shows, magazines, ... Movies as The_Mosquito_Coast, Jericho, The Time Machine, Beverly_Hills_Family_Robinson have done a great deal in raising interest to the general public. More specialised magazines as OtherPower and Home Power magazine finally are giving more practical advice/guidance^[21]. Finally websites as Instructables, Practical Action, ... are again increasing popularity by proposing DIY-solutions which can decrease the cost of microgeneration even further. The Mosquito Coast is a 1986 film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. ... This article is about the CBS television drama. ... The Time Machine is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Simon Wells as a remake of The Time Machine (1960), and starring Guy Pearce, Jeremy Irons, Orlando Jones, Samantha Mumba, Mark Addy, Sienna Guillory, and Phyllida Law with a cameo by Alan Young from the earlier film. ... Beverly Hills Family Robinson is a 1997 American Walt Disney TV movie based on the novel Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. ... instructables is a website created by Eric Wilhelm, Ph. ... Practical Action - the working name of Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) – is a charity registered in the United Kingdom which works directly in four regions of the developing world – Latin America, East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia, with particular concentration on Peru, Kenya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Nepal. ...

References

New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ...

See also

Energy Portal

Sustainable development Portal

• Microgeneration Certification Scheme
• Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
• Citizenre
• Domestic energy consumption (offers calculations to set up microgeneration-plants)
• Distributed generation
• Off-the-grid
• Emergency power system
• Deep cycle battery (the type of batteries to be used in domestic, off-grid systems]]
• Photovoltaic array
• Hydrogen station
• Organic farming methods; describes the private farming systems usable for self-sufficient houses

Image File history File links Crystal_128_energy. ... Image File history File links Sustainable_development. ... For Government policy, see Energy policy of the United Kingdom Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom has been receiving increased attention over recent years. ... Citizenrē is a renewable energy startup company that plans to rent photovoltaic (PV) solar systems to homeowners in the United States. ... Distributed generation generates electricity from many small energy sources. ... The term off the grid refers to a method of construction that relies on renewable energy sources rather than traditional public utility sources provided by the utility grid. ... Emergency power systems are a type of device, which may include lighting, generators and other apparatus, to provide backup resources in a crisis or when regular systems fail. ... A lead-acid gel battery A deep-cycle lead-acid battery is designed to deliver a consistent voltage as the battery discharges. ... A photovoltaic module that is composed of individual PV cells. ... A hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for hydrogen, usually located along a road or hydrogen highway, or at home as part of the distributed generation resources concept. ... Organic farming methods combine scientific knowledge and modern technology with traditional farming practices based on thousands of years of agriculture. ...

External links

External links on the systems' self-suffiency parts

• Microgeneration.com - Basic information on setting up microgeneration at home
• USDA EERE's off-grid generation page
• Information on precise domestic power consumption calculations to create partial/or completely off-grid systems
• Practical action's info on setting-up microgeneration at home
• Earthship Biotincture's info and practical (low-cost) modules on setting up microgeneration systems in practice
• VillageEarth AT SourceBook: Contains information on microgeneration systems and set-ups
• BlueEnergy; provides general schematic of parts required for self-sufficient energy generation system, also provides info on DIY equipment (windturbine in set-ups)
• PESwiki Home Generation: contains information on microgeneration and the set-up of self-sufficient homes

UK related

• http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources
• Low Carbon Buildings Programme
• Environment and Greener Living
• Micropower Council
• Small is Beautiful, commentary on UK microgeneration issues
• Building for a Future magazine: Microgeneration - Good or bad?
• Microgeneration Yorkshire - support for microgeneration sector in the Yorkshire region